Jason Reitman's career has been something of a roller coaster, but it feels like he might be finally settling into a real groove now. After the Oscar-nominated one-two punch of Juno and Up in the Air, the son of Hollywood legend Ivan Reitman was on his way to becoming a respected figure in his own right. But when Labor Day and Men, Women & Children both bombed, it seemed like Reitman had lost some of his late 2000s mojo. He vanished from the indie scene for a few years after the latter film, but Reitman triumphantly returned at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where Tully premiered as a sneak preview to enthusiastic crowds. The motherhood drama finds him re-teaming with Young Adult star Charlize Theron and Juno scribe Diablo Cody, working together to tell the brutally realistic and occasionally fantastical story of an exhausted mom named Marlo. The results are mostly impressive, blending superb performances, genuinely terrifying moments of domestic chaos, and a gentle, authentic touch to great effect. But when Reitman and Cody finally pull the rug out from under the audience with a third act twist, the lovingly crafted and thoroughly realistic house of cards begins to crumble.
Theron stars as Marlo, a young mother who is quickly running out of steam. She has two children, oldest Sarah (Lia Frankland) and "quirky" Jonah (Asher Miles Fallica), and she's currently in the late stages of pregnancy with a third child. Her husband (Ron Livingston) spends most of his time at work, so much of the weight of raising the kids lies on Marlo's shoulders. With a new baby on the way, Marlo's wealthy brother (Mark Duplass) implores her to get a night nanny, someone to take care of the newborn at night so that the parents can get some sleep. Despite her initial refusal to let a stranger care for her baby, Marlo eventually caves after several terrible nights of waking up at 4 AM. Enter Tully (Mackenzie Davis). The hip and slightly weird night nanny arrives unexpectedly in Marlo's life, shaking up just about everything. Over the course of a few weeks, Tully helps Marlo find herself in the wake of three life-changing developments, bringing much-needed assistance and wisdom along the way.
Tully's portrait of motherhood is dynamic and layered, so I don't want to be reductive and describe it as just one thing. But I have to emphasize- this movie made me want to never, ever have children. The first act almost plays like a horror movie, accompanied by a terrifying montage of Marlo repeatedly waking up in the middle of the night to take care of a screaming baby. Tully dabbles in mystical and spiritual territory (more on that later) over the course of its runtime, but the film is at its absolute best when it's painfully, brutally authentic. Already one of the most celebrated actors of our time, Charlize Theron goes full method as a mom suffering from major burn-out, finding physical and psychological trauma in a character who has been asked to do far too much. There's a caustic wit to Marlo that feels like a remnant of the person she used to be, but the weathered pain on her face tells you all that you need to know. Even in such a transformative role, Theron conveys so much with just a single sharp look or pointed glance. It's one of the strongest performances I've seen this year.
Of course, the film can't wallow in misery forever, and it undergoes something of a tonal shift when the character of Tully actually shows up. Mackenzie Davis has popped up in bit roles in blockbusters such as Blade Runner 2049 and The Martian, but she gets a nice chance to shine here as a wholly optimistic and down-to-earth character. Tully is something of a mystery throughout the entire film, but her easy-going rapport with Marlo works beautifully. The middle section flows nicely, as Theron and Davis rattle off Diablo Cody's dialogue with a kind of humorous spirit and charming energy. At one point, Marlo notes how the world seems a little brighter since Tully came along. And while my brain may have been playing tricks on me in that moment, it certainly seemed like Reitman and cinematographer Eric Steelberg's visual choices echoed that sentiment.
Reitman supplements Cody's heartwarming and nightmarish story with expertly crafted visuals, contrasting a grimy, desaturated aesthetic with a certain level of sun-drenched charm. With help from editor Stefan Grube, Reitman manages to create some memorable (and even somewhat harrowing) sequences, while simultaneously giving the film a great sense of momentum. On pretty much every level, Tully is very well-made. There's clever direction from Reitman, witty dialogue from Cody, and two stellar performances- lots to love here.
And then there's the ending.
If you haven't seen Tully and want to be surprised, leave now, because I'm going to delve into specifics. So if you haven't heard already, there's a twist in the third act of this movie. After devoting much of its runtime to an unflinching, remarkably honest portrait of the highs and lows of motherhood, Reitman and Cody decide to pull a Fight Club in the finale. That's right, in the final moments of this movie, we learn that Tully is not real. She was completely made up all along, a figment of Marlo's imagination. And more specifically, she's portrayed as a younger version of Marlo, a young woman who is still holding on to her ideals and her optimism before marriage and children ruined it all.
In a way, this gives the film an added sense of poignancy. It's moving to think of this story as the conversation between a woman and her younger self, sparring with each other over what has become of their collective lives. I'm always fond of a good twist, and the element of surprise is on full display in Tully. But should it be? In their attempt to shock the audience with an "aha!" moment, Reitman and Cody end up creating even more problems. Not only is the twist handled in a sloppy and haphazard fashion (there's a strange mermaid element to the film that goes unexplained, which left me second-guessing what really happened), but it also renders everything else somewhat less meaningful. I was left picking apart the logic of this decision, wondering if what came before supported such an unexpected conclusion. If the film was upfront about the true nature of its story, the ending would have been no less moving, even without this surprise factor. But by taking a very sudden left turn into the world of depression-induced fantasies, Tully's shock value dilutes its emotional impact.
Reitman and Cody still made a very good movie, and some may find the unpredictability of the finale to be satisfying and rewarding. I just left wishing that the twist was more in line with the authentic, grounded nature of the film. Nonetheless, Tully is worth seeing for the performance of Charlize Theron alone, an actress who serves as the powerful, vulnerable, darkly hilarious anchor of this whole endeavor.
And plus, if you didn't appreciate and respect the work of parenting enough already, Tully's chaotic portrait of motherhood makes the often insane difficultly of being a mother that much more striking. Seriously, if you don't have kids already, this movie will make you think long and hard about that future decision.
THE FINAL GRADE: B (7.3/10)
Images courtesy of Focus Features
Theron stars as Marlo, a young mother who is quickly running out of steam. She has two children, oldest Sarah (Lia Frankland) and "quirky" Jonah (Asher Miles Fallica), and she's currently in the late stages of pregnancy with a third child. Her husband (Ron Livingston) spends most of his time at work, so much of the weight of raising the kids lies on Marlo's shoulders. With a new baby on the way, Marlo's wealthy brother (Mark Duplass) implores her to get a night nanny, someone to take care of the newborn at night so that the parents can get some sleep. Despite her initial refusal to let a stranger care for her baby, Marlo eventually caves after several terrible nights of waking up at 4 AM. Enter Tully (Mackenzie Davis). The hip and slightly weird night nanny arrives unexpectedly in Marlo's life, shaking up just about everything. Over the course of a few weeks, Tully helps Marlo find herself in the wake of three life-changing developments, bringing much-needed assistance and wisdom along the way.
Tully's portrait of motherhood is dynamic and layered, so I don't want to be reductive and describe it as just one thing. But I have to emphasize- this movie made me want to never, ever have children. The first act almost plays like a horror movie, accompanied by a terrifying montage of Marlo repeatedly waking up in the middle of the night to take care of a screaming baby. Tully dabbles in mystical and spiritual territory (more on that later) over the course of its runtime, but the film is at its absolute best when it's painfully, brutally authentic. Already one of the most celebrated actors of our time, Charlize Theron goes full method as a mom suffering from major burn-out, finding physical and psychological trauma in a character who has been asked to do far too much. There's a caustic wit to Marlo that feels like a remnant of the person she used to be, but the weathered pain on her face tells you all that you need to know. Even in such a transformative role, Theron conveys so much with just a single sharp look or pointed glance. It's one of the strongest performances I've seen this year.
Of course, the film can't wallow in misery forever, and it undergoes something of a tonal shift when the character of Tully actually shows up. Mackenzie Davis has popped up in bit roles in blockbusters such as Blade Runner 2049 and The Martian, but she gets a nice chance to shine here as a wholly optimistic and down-to-earth character. Tully is something of a mystery throughout the entire film, but her easy-going rapport with Marlo works beautifully. The middle section flows nicely, as Theron and Davis rattle off Diablo Cody's dialogue with a kind of humorous spirit and charming energy. At one point, Marlo notes how the world seems a little brighter since Tully came along. And while my brain may have been playing tricks on me in that moment, it certainly seemed like Reitman and cinematographer Eric Steelberg's visual choices echoed that sentiment.
Reitman supplements Cody's heartwarming and nightmarish story with expertly crafted visuals, contrasting a grimy, desaturated aesthetic with a certain level of sun-drenched charm. With help from editor Stefan Grube, Reitman manages to create some memorable (and even somewhat harrowing) sequences, while simultaneously giving the film a great sense of momentum. On pretty much every level, Tully is very well-made. There's clever direction from Reitman, witty dialogue from Cody, and two stellar performances- lots to love here.
And then there's the ending.
If you haven't seen Tully and want to be surprised, leave now, because I'm going to delve into specifics. So if you haven't heard already, there's a twist in the third act of this movie. After devoting much of its runtime to an unflinching, remarkably honest portrait of the highs and lows of motherhood, Reitman and Cody decide to pull a Fight Club in the finale. That's right, in the final moments of this movie, we learn that Tully is not real. She was completely made up all along, a figment of Marlo's imagination. And more specifically, she's portrayed as a younger version of Marlo, a young woman who is still holding on to her ideals and her optimism before marriage and children ruined it all.
In a way, this gives the film an added sense of poignancy. It's moving to think of this story as the conversation between a woman and her younger self, sparring with each other over what has become of their collective lives. I'm always fond of a good twist, and the element of surprise is on full display in Tully. But should it be? In their attempt to shock the audience with an "aha!" moment, Reitman and Cody end up creating even more problems. Not only is the twist handled in a sloppy and haphazard fashion (there's a strange mermaid element to the film that goes unexplained, which left me second-guessing what really happened), but it also renders everything else somewhat less meaningful. I was left picking apart the logic of this decision, wondering if what came before supported such an unexpected conclusion. If the film was upfront about the true nature of its story, the ending would have been no less moving, even without this surprise factor. But by taking a very sudden left turn into the world of depression-induced fantasies, Tully's shock value dilutes its emotional impact.
Reitman and Cody still made a very good movie, and some may find the unpredictability of the finale to be satisfying and rewarding. I just left wishing that the twist was more in line with the authentic, grounded nature of the film. Nonetheless, Tully is worth seeing for the performance of Charlize Theron alone, an actress who serves as the powerful, vulnerable, darkly hilarious anchor of this whole endeavor.
And plus, if you didn't appreciate and respect the work of parenting enough already, Tully's chaotic portrait of motherhood makes the often insane difficultly of being a mother that much more striking. Seriously, if you don't have kids already, this movie will make you think long and hard about that future decision.
THE FINAL GRADE: B (7.3/10)
Images courtesy of Focus Features
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